Huge room for private schools to thrive in Nigeria, says ex-VC

Former Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof Rahamon Bello has said opportunities will abound for private schools to thrive in the next 50 years in Nigeria.

He said this on Monday while delivering a lecture to mark the 50th anniversary of Grace Schools Gbagada, Lagos.

Speaking on the topic: “Private Education in Nigeria: Sustainability in the next 50 Years”, Bello said the inadequate number of public primary and secondary schools, especially in Lagos State, as well as the challenge of poor quality were gaps private schools could fill.

He also said private providers of education could seize on the shortage of secondary schools to provide both academic and quality vocational and entrepreneurial skills which employers will appreciate.

“The demand for private education rather than wane in the years ahead is likely to multiply. The public sector is unlikely to have all the resources needed to meet the demands of the 6-3-3-4 policy on education. The private sector investment in private education is very substantial and will continue to increase and as such cannot be ignored by government as it is supplementary. Governments must therefore fine tune their strategies on regulation through monitoring and inspection,” he said.

It was not all about the lecture alone. The programme also featured the unveiling of a bust in honour of the school’s founder, Mrs Grace Oshinowo by the Representative of Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs Lola Adegbite, as well as a huge banner containing the names of all alumni who completed their primary education in the school.

Other highpoints were the cutting of the anniversary cake, the introduction of the first registered pupil of the school, Mrs Grace Ogunwo, and special presentations by the pupils including a poem recitation in Mandarin.

In an interview, Mrs Ogunwo told The Nation that she learnt a lot as a pioneer pupil of the school under Mrs Oshinowo, who was also her aunt.

“She was a disciplinarian. She liked education and because of the Motto of the school ‘God First’. She instilled moral values.

“The experience really made me a strong woman. I was a Banker for 18 years, I am now a trader. That spirit that she instilled in me is still working,” she said.

“The founder of Grace School Chief Mrs Oshinowo was a mentor. We were in the same Early Childhood Organization. She was an officer there. We used to come to her school. She will entertain us at the meeting. There was nothing you asked of her as regards education that she will not tell you. She is very friendly, takes us like her children and tells us a lot of things,” she said.

On her part, the school’s administrator and founder’s daughter, Mrs Olatokunbo Edun, attributed the school’s success in 50 years to her mother’s discipline, focus and succession planning.

“We live in a country where most businesses do not even survive up to 10 years but we have been able to survive for 50 years so we every reason to glorify God.

“I have been in charge officially for 35 years. When I was at the university and secondary school I used to work here. My mum was a disciplinarian. You have to be of excellent behavior. She was very focused; she was not a wasteful person. So I learnt all that from her to be disciplined,” she said.